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CNN Live At Daybreak

We've Got Issues; Political Sickness; Those Darned Sox; Pillow Talk

Aired October 19, 2004 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
"Now in the News."

U.S. warplanes bomb targets in the volatile Iraqi city of Fallujah overnight. The military calls the targets safe houses and weapons camps used by terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. No immediate word of casualties.

Britain is filing terrorist charges against radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamsa al-Masri. That's according to The Associate Press. Britain's move preempts a U.S. extradition bid. Al-Masri is wanted by the U.S. on 11 terrorist charges.

Seven terror suspects arrested in Spain were reportedly plotting a major bomb attack against the national court. That's what Spanish newspapers are reporting this morning. Police describe the suspects as part of an Islamic militant group.

An Amber Alert is issued for two sisters ages 2 and 6 in Louisville, Kentucky. The girls' 5-year-old sister was found dead when police went to arrest their father on rape and sodomy charges. Police believe the girls may be with their father.

A couple of tornadoes ripped through central Arkansas. Today, authorities will see just how much damage was done. The storm injured nearly a dozen people, damaged homes, snapped trees and left thousands without electricity.

And hopefully, Chad, they'll have a calm day today.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And killed three people, Carol, in Cooter, Missouri, one of those tornadoes. Twenty-seven reports of tornadoes yesterdays. Sometimes you get more than one report from the same tornado. Somebody is looking at it from the north, somebody is looking at it from the south, they both call in. But at that point, you don't know if it's the same tornado or not, but they'll figure that out today. Had tornado watches up until about 20 minutes ago.

Now we have a severe thunderstorm watch box for all of southern Tennessee, northern Mississippi and Alabama, and now possibly even moving into northern Georgia in a couple of hours, as that whole line slides on off to the east.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Two weeks from today, you will go to the polls to elect the next president. Will George Bush keep his job or will John Kerry take it away? A CNN poll of polls shows President Bush is pulling out in front again. Fifty percent of Americans favor Bush, 45 percent favor Senator Kerry. That's about the same 5 point lead the president had going into the first debate. The numbers reflect an average of national polls. The sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

And as we head into the final two weeks, we're going to bring you a series of reports this week on key election issues. We hope to cut through the clutter and give you a clear indication of where the candidates stand.

CNN's "NEWSNIGHT'S" Aaron Brown begins with social issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: Gay, straight, black, white, all united to fight the right!

BROWN (voice-over): These are the hot-button issues that touch us where we live, the red-hot intersection of religion and politics, our public and private lives, who we can marry, when life begins, how it should end. These are issues that come from deep within and often do not lend themselves to compromise, hard things for a democracy to deal with.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I believe that, in the year 2004, we deserve a president who understands that a stronger America, where women's rights are just that, rights, not political weapons to be used by politicians in this nation.

BROWN: John Kerry supports a woman's right to choose abortion. And he voted against a ban on the so-called partial-birth abortion method because it did not include an exception for a woman's health. And Kerry supports the renewed funding of international family planning organizations.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because a caring society will value its weakest members, we must make a place for the unborn child.

BROWN: George W. Bush opposes abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or where the mother's life is endangered. He signed into law the bill that banned partial-birth abortions and has cut off funding to international family planning agencies he accuses of abortion- related activities.

In a related issue, the president funded research into the potential medical benefits of embryonic stem cells, but limited that research to the small number of already existing lines of cells to avoid what he called the further destruction of human embryos. John Kerry supports federal funding of stem cell research without the limits on the number of new cell lines, except appropriate ethical oversight.

Senator Kerry opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposes a constitutional amendment to ban them. He would support the right of gays to serve openly in the military. President Bush encouraged Congress to pass the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. And the president continues President Clinton's don't-ask/don't-tell policy on gays in the military.

George W. Bush supports the death penalty; 152 people were executed while he was the governor of Texas, but favors giving inmates increased access to new DNA tests that might prove their innocence. John Kerry opposes the death penalty, except in cases of terrorism, and would impose a moratorium on federal executions until DNA evidence could be used to make sure that all those on death row are, in fact, guilty.

On the issue of gun control, Kerry supports a citizen's right to own a gun, but also supported the ban on assault weapons and its extension. George W. Bush also supports the right to own a gun. He supported the assault weapon ban, but has been accused of permitting it to expire without pushing for its renewal.

Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: DAYBREAK'S inside look at campaign issues continues tomorrow with healthcare.

In "Health Headlines" for you this morning, though, young women with breast cancer is said to be at increased risk for having their cancer return if they are treated with mastectomy alone. Researchers say it may be because surgery stimulates dormant cells to become cancerous. Now that may explain why combining mastectomy with chemotherapy has proven to be effective with young patients.

Drug maker Merck says it's evaluating why its popular painkiller Vioxx raises the chance of a heart attack and stroke. But a company official says they have not found a clear correlation. Merck took the drug off the market last month.

Speaking of treatment for pain, if you suffer from arthritis, you may want to try acupuncture. A new study says the Chinese technique helps boost the effect of pain reducing drugs for patients with arthritis in their knees.

And by now you've all seen pictures of the long lines for flu shots. The Centers for Disease Control says be patient, but some people just can't wait. At least one clinic in Canada is fielding calls from Americans who want to cross the border to get their shot. Extra doses are being made available for a fee. Canadians, in the meantime, get free shots as part of their national healthcare system.

America's healthcare system, and now more specifically the flu shot shortage, has become the hot button issue of the presidential campaign.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Long lines for flu shots one day make for political ads...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A George Bush mess.

COHEN: ... and speeches the next.

The candidates have officially caught the flu. Both sides say they have plans to solve the problems with the system. Right now flu shots are made by private pharmaceutical companies. They sell the shots to places like doctor's offices, supermarkets and local health department. But here's the hitch: pharmaceutical companies don't make much money off of flu shots, so many have simply gotten out of the business.

In years past, some four companies have made flu shots for the U.S., now there are only two. And when one company has contamination problems, as the Chiron Company did this year, nearly half the nation's supply becomes unusable.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Julie Gerberding.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC: We've got to create a market for these manufacturers. We've got to reimburse them at a fair price. And we have to give them some liability protection. This process is risky business. And the reason so many manufacturers have dropped out is that they just can't make business sense out of the enterprise.

COHEN: Democratic hopeful John Kerry blames President Bush for the shortage.

KERRY: I understand there was some senior citizens who came out to listen to President Bush the other day and he gave them the standard speech about prayer and flu shots. And that's the way it works. Under his plan, you don't have a prayer of getting a flu shot, ladies and gentlemen.

TOMMY THOMPSON, HHS SECRETARY: During these challenging times, it is disheartening for me and for the department to see critics who have done nothing to strengthen our system try to lay blame where it doesn't belong for the fragility of the vaccine system.

COHEN: Both Kerry and the Bush administration offered plans, which surprisingly call for similar actions. Work with manufacturers to get a larger supply of vaccines, establish government stockpiles of vaccines and increase research for new ways to make vaccines.

In the old way, the way it's done now, flu vaccine is grown inside chicken eggs. It's a tedious process and takes months. New methods could be quicker so manufacturers could more easily respond in case of an emergency, in cases like this year when half the supply suddenly can't be used, and so people who need flu shots are left waiting in line.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Can't wait two more weeks to cast your vote in the presidential election, well in some states you don't have to. In four minutes, we have got details on early voting.

And that brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Day," will the presidential election actually be decided on November 2? DAYBREAK@CNN.com. We've gotten good responses so far. Thank you.

In seven minutes, the Sox beat the Yanks again. What a game, and I mean a long game. We'll talk baseball when we come back.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Voters don't have to wait until November 2 in some states, which kicked off early voting on Monday. We know at least two voters cast their ballots for George W. Bush, that would be those people, his parents. The former president and the first lady turned out at the early polls in Texas.

In Colorado, election officials report long lines and some computer glitches but no major problems. Things have not gone so smoothly in Florida, though. Not long after the polls opened there computer problems cropped up in at least two key counties. They're still working on them. They'll start doing that again later this morning.

That brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning," do you think that the election will actually be decided on November 2? And we've got a couple of hundred e-mails so far. And none of you think it will be decided on November 2. Let me read some of them.

This is from Marilee (ph) from New Orleans. She says no, I don't have any confidence in the voting system anymore. It will probably be weeks before we have an elected president.

This is from Richard (ph) from Chicago. He says with all the anticipated voting problems, we may never really know who won the election. In any event, I would wager that we will not know until after January 1, 2005. And even then, it may need to be decided in the courts. Both sides are out for blood.

This is from John (ph) from Trumansburg, New York. He says I believe the voters will decide on November 2. However, on November 3, the lawyers will go to the booth.

And this from Mary Lynn (ph) from Hickory, North Carolina. She says unless we have a definitive majority for one of the candidates, we will not have a decision on the election on November 2. The Democratic Party has already begun setting up situations and filing complaints, which will facilitate calling for recounts. Is there no integrity left in this country?

Keep those e-mails coming, DAYBREAK@CNN.com. We're going to debate this issue in the 6:00 hour of DAYBREAK.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:47 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Scott Peterson's defense attorneys will be on the attack again today. Their first target was to strike at the prosecution theory that Peterson made cement anchors to sink his wife's body in San Francisco Bay.

Rock singer Melissa Etheridge is at home recovering from two breast cancer surgeries. She says doctors removed a tumor and a few lymph nodes. And she does plan to undergo chemotherapy.

In money news, crude oil prices closed at $53.67 a barrel on Monday. That's down from more than $55 earlier in the day. Crude production actually soared last month to 25-year highs.

In culture, Broadway star Nathan Lane is set to replace Richard Dreyfuss in the London premier of the hit musical "The Producers." Dreyfuss was forced to pull out of the show for health reasons. And of course, as you know, Nathan Lane would be the perfect replacement since he played that role before.

In sports, Monday Night Football, the St. Louis Rams came back to win their second straight, beating the Tampa Bay Bucs 28-21. The Rams move into first place in the NFC West.

MYERS: I wonder what the ratings were like for that game?

COSTELLO: It'd be interesting. There was a crawl for St. Louis fans keeping them abreast of what was happening in the baseball game.

MYERS: Yes, exactly, matches a lot going on last night.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

So we saw the Red Sox pull off another amazing win, but the National Leaguers had their own classic ending. Astros pitcher Brandon Backe was masterful against the Cardinals. Of course he had a little help from his friends. Game stayed scoreless until the bottom of the ninth inning. But then Jeff Kent stepped up, ended the suspense. The Astros now lead the series three games to two with the series heading back to St. Louis. There you go, that's Jeff Kent, I think.

Get back to the Red Sox and the Yankees, the last two games will surely go down as the two best games in post season history, at least for Red Sox fans.

Joining us live, our good friends Mark Ericson and Danielle Carrier of the WOKQ Waking Crew in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire.

I couldn't believe that game last night.

MARK ERICSON, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Two of the longest games in history, too, post season history.

DANIELLE CARRIER, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: We are so tired.

COSTELLO: Five hours and 48 minutes to be exact. But I'm telling you, I fell asleep in the seventh inning. I woke up in the 10th. And it was...

CARRIER: You fell asleep.

COSTELLO: Well I did because I thought that the Red Sox had lost.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I did, and I didn't want to see them lose. You know what I mean?

CARRIER: I had a feeling. It was just a riveting game. It was exhilarating. It was entertaining. It was everything that the Red Sox nation always expects.

COSTELLO: Did you see the faces of the fans in the stands through those extra innings?

CARRIER: The little kids. The little kids are the best. They're like covering their eyes and they are peaking through and they are going please, please. It's amazingly adorable.

COSTELLO: I know. I know. Six year olds were becoming intense because of this game.

CARRIER: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

ERICSON: And the Red Sox haven't seemed to draw that kind of emotion out of everybody. But I have to say, I think right now New England is probably the most nonproductive region of the country. And actually, if Ralph Nader were smart, he would campaign here, because we're all so sleep deprived...

CARRIER: Yes. We'd be like whatever, care (ph). ERICSON: ... we'll vote for anybody. Nobody is getting any sleep in New England this week.

COSTELLO: My gosh, what it must be like to be David Ortiz.

CARRIER: You know Vince Hockey (ph) pulls through not once, but twice. And the best part was they pulled through on base hitting. I mean that is so important. I mean everyone says you can't really technically win a game on home runs, unless you are like in the do or die situation, which they have been in the past two nights. And Hoppy (ph) did it twice.

COSTELLO: It's just amazing. I want to read you this bizarre stat, because of course the last two games were very long.

(LAUGHTER)

CARRIER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Twelve innings and 14 innings, right?

ERICSON: Yes.

COSTELLO: When it was over, the teams had played back-to-back marathon games that totaled 26 innings and almost 11 hours, 5 hours 2 minutes on Sunday, 5 hours 49 minutes on Monday, the longest by time in post season history.

CARRIER: And Yankees ran out of pitchers. That's really important. They pitched every pitcher they had except for the one who will be pitching tonight, because they are saving him for tonight.

ERICSON: Well, and Ortiz's game winning hit came last night on the 471st pitch of the game.

CARRIER: That's just insane. And it's just insane. Of course we'll all be watching the game tonight.

Thank you both.

ERICSON: Yes. Have a good day, Carol.

CARRIER: Thanks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You, too.

DAYBREAK will be right back. You stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: You know we've told you part of this story before, but we thought we needed to tell you more, because you know we know that some of you come home to an empty bed at night. If you're yearning for an arm to cuddle up with, we've got just the thing for you.

Here is so much more from CNN's Jeanne Moos. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): OK, put your head down.

(voice-over): This pillow requires instructions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Am I supposed to cuddle like I would with a guy?

MOOS: That's the whole point of what's called the Boyfriend's Arm Pillow. Unlike a real arm, this one never gets numb. Unlike a real boyfriend, it's always there and doesn't snore.

It was dreamed up by a Japanese company whose president says his grandmother used to say there is not more comfortable pillow than the human pillow.

But will this stand in for a boyfriend, past muster with New York women?

(on camera): See, he looks better with the pajamas, don't you think?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, definitely.

MOOS (voice-over): We shelled out 70 bucks for a Boyfriend's Arm Pillow and had it shipped from Japan to New York.

(on camera): They put a hold on this thing in customs. They wanted more information on what it was.

(voice-over): For his first and only night out, we took the Boyfriend's Arm to a nightspot called High Line (ph) where they change sheets, not just tablecloths. He immediately caused trouble, spilling a drink and worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's feeling me up. It's very comfortable. It's a little disconcerting though to have like a hand.

MOOS: For guys it was a role reversal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I usually have a head on my arm when I'm sleeping. I don't know, it feels like my mom is holding me or something.

MOOS (on camera): Really!

(voice-over): But this woman says it makes her feel lonelier.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would just rather get a real boyfriend for free.

MOOS: Some had suggestions for improving the pillow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it needs a head. MOOS: Forget a head, this guy wants a bust. We're told a female version already exists for $83. And they are working on designing a lap with a skirt, plus a more muscular Boyfriend's Arm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like something longer, because I like to like put my leg over something. I want the whole man.

MOOS: That's sure to cost an arm and a leg.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 19, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
"Now in the News."

U.S. warplanes bomb targets in the volatile Iraqi city of Fallujah overnight. The military calls the targets safe houses and weapons camps used by terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. No immediate word of casualties.

Britain is filing terrorist charges against radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamsa al-Masri. That's according to The Associate Press. Britain's move preempts a U.S. extradition bid. Al-Masri is wanted by the U.S. on 11 terrorist charges.

Seven terror suspects arrested in Spain were reportedly plotting a major bomb attack against the national court. That's what Spanish newspapers are reporting this morning. Police describe the suspects as part of an Islamic militant group.

An Amber Alert is issued for two sisters ages 2 and 6 in Louisville, Kentucky. The girls' 5-year-old sister was found dead when police went to arrest their father on rape and sodomy charges. Police believe the girls may be with their father.

A couple of tornadoes ripped through central Arkansas. Today, authorities will see just how much damage was done. The storm injured nearly a dozen people, damaged homes, snapped trees and left thousands without electricity.

And hopefully, Chad, they'll have a calm day today.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And killed three people, Carol, in Cooter, Missouri, one of those tornadoes. Twenty-seven reports of tornadoes yesterdays. Sometimes you get more than one report from the same tornado. Somebody is looking at it from the north, somebody is looking at it from the south, they both call in. But at that point, you don't know if it's the same tornado or not, but they'll figure that out today. Had tornado watches up until about 20 minutes ago.

Now we have a severe thunderstorm watch box for all of southern Tennessee, northern Mississippi and Alabama, and now possibly even moving into northern Georgia in a couple of hours, as that whole line slides on off to the east.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Two weeks from today, you will go to the polls to elect the next president. Will George Bush keep his job or will John Kerry take it away? A CNN poll of polls shows President Bush is pulling out in front again. Fifty percent of Americans favor Bush, 45 percent favor Senator Kerry. That's about the same 5 point lead the president had going into the first debate. The numbers reflect an average of national polls. The sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

And as we head into the final two weeks, we're going to bring you a series of reports this week on key election issues. We hope to cut through the clutter and give you a clear indication of where the candidates stand.

CNN's "NEWSNIGHT'S" Aaron Brown begins with social issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: Gay, straight, black, white, all united to fight the right!

BROWN (voice-over): These are the hot-button issues that touch us where we live, the red-hot intersection of religion and politics, our public and private lives, who we can marry, when life begins, how it should end. These are issues that come from deep within and often do not lend themselves to compromise, hard things for a democracy to deal with.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I believe that, in the year 2004, we deserve a president who understands that a stronger America, where women's rights are just that, rights, not political weapons to be used by politicians in this nation.

BROWN: John Kerry supports a woman's right to choose abortion. And he voted against a ban on the so-called partial-birth abortion method because it did not include an exception for a woman's health. And Kerry supports the renewed funding of international family planning organizations.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because a caring society will value its weakest members, we must make a place for the unborn child.

BROWN: George W. Bush opposes abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or where the mother's life is endangered. He signed into law the bill that banned partial-birth abortions and has cut off funding to international family planning agencies he accuses of abortion- related activities.

In a related issue, the president funded research into the potential medical benefits of embryonic stem cells, but limited that research to the small number of already existing lines of cells to avoid what he called the further destruction of human embryos. John Kerry supports federal funding of stem cell research without the limits on the number of new cell lines, except appropriate ethical oversight.

Senator Kerry opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposes a constitutional amendment to ban them. He would support the right of gays to serve openly in the military. President Bush encouraged Congress to pass the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. And the president continues President Clinton's don't-ask/don't-tell policy on gays in the military.

George W. Bush supports the death penalty; 152 people were executed while he was the governor of Texas, but favors giving inmates increased access to new DNA tests that might prove their innocence. John Kerry opposes the death penalty, except in cases of terrorism, and would impose a moratorium on federal executions until DNA evidence could be used to make sure that all those on death row are, in fact, guilty.

On the issue of gun control, Kerry supports a citizen's right to own a gun, but also supported the ban on assault weapons and its extension. George W. Bush also supports the right to own a gun. He supported the assault weapon ban, but has been accused of permitting it to expire without pushing for its renewal.

Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: DAYBREAK'S inside look at campaign issues continues tomorrow with healthcare.

In "Health Headlines" for you this morning, though, young women with breast cancer is said to be at increased risk for having their cancer return if they are treated with mastectomy alone. Researchers say it may be because surgery stimulates dormant cells to become cancerous. Now that may explain why combining mastectomy with chemotherapy has proven to be effective with young patients.

Drug maker Merck says it's evaluating why its popular painkiller Vioxx raises the chance of a heart attack and stroke. But a company official says they have not found a clear correlation. Merck took the drug off the market last month.

Speaking of treatment for pain, if you suffer from arthritis, you may want to try acupuncture. A new study says the Chinese technique helps boost the effect of pain reducing drugs for patients with arthritis in their knees.

And by now you've all seen pictures of the long lines for flu shots. The Centers for Disease Control says be patient, but some people just can't wait. At least one clinic in Canada is fielding calls from Americans who want to cross the border to get their shot. Extra doses are being made available for a fee. Canadians, in the meantime, get free shots as part of their national healthcare system.

America's healthcare system, and now more specifically the flu shot shortage, has become the hot button issue of the presidential campaign.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Long lines for flu shots one day make for political ads...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A George Bush mess.

COHEN: ... and speeches the next.

The candidates have officially caught the flu. Both sides say they have plans to solve the problems with the system. Right now flu shots are made by private pharmaceutical companies. They sell the shots to places like doctor's offices, supermarkets and local health department. But here's the hitch: pharmaceutical companies don't make much money off of flu shots, so many have simply gotten out of the business.

In years past, some four companies have made flu shots for the U.S., now there are only two. And when one company has contamination problems, as the Chiron Company did this year, nearly half the nation's supply becomes unusable.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Julie Gerberding.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC: We've got to create a market for these manufacturers. We've got to reimburse them at a fair price. And we have to give them some liability protection. This process is risky business. And the reason so many manufacturers have dropped out is that they just can't make business sense out of the enterprise.

COHEN: Democratic hopeful John Kerry blames President Bush for the shortage.

KERRY: I understand there was some senior citizens who came out to listen to President Bush the other day and he gave them the standard speech about prayer and flu shots. And that's the way it works. Under his plan, you don't have a prayer of getting a flu shot, ladies and gentlemen.

TOMMY THOMPSON, HHS SECRETARY: During these challenging times, it is disheartening for me and for the department to see critics who have done nothing to strengthen our system try to lay blame where it doesn't belong for the fragility of the vaccine system.

COHEN: Both Kerry and the Bush administration offered plans, which surprisingly call for similar actions. Work with manufacturers to get a larger supply of vaccines, establish government stockpiles of vaccines and increase research for new ways to make vaccines.

In the old way, the way it's done now, flu vaccine is grown inside chicken eggs. It's a tedious process and takes months. New methods could be quicker so manufacturers could more easily respond in case of an emergency, in cases like this year when half the supply suddenly can't be used, and so people who need flu shots are left waiting in line.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Can't wait two more weeks to cast your vote in the presidential election, well in some states you don't have to. In four minutes, we have got details on early voting.

And that brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Day," will the presidential election actually be decided on November 2? DAYBREAK@CNN.com. We've gotten good responses so far. Thank you.

In seven minutes, the Sox beat the Yanks again. What a game, and I mean a long game. We'll talk baseball when we come back.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Voters don't have to wait until November 2 in some states, which kicked off early voting on Monday. We know at least two voters cast their ballots for George W. Bush, that would be those people, his parents. The former president and the first lady turned out at the early polls in Texas.

In Colorado, election officials report long lines and some computer glitches but no major problems. Things have not gone so smoothly in Florida, though. Not long after the polls opened there computer problems cropped up in at least two key counties. They're still working on them. They'll start doing that again later this morning.

That brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning," do you think that the election will actually be decided on November 2? And we've got a couple of hundred e-mails so far. And none of you think it will be decided on November 2. Let me read some of them.

This is from Marilee (ph) from New Orleans. She says no, I don't have any confidence in the voting system anymore. It will probably be weeks before we have an elected president.

This is from Richard (ph) from Chicago. He says with all the anticipated voting problems, we may never really know who won the election. In any event, I would wager that we will not know until after January 1, 2005. And even then, it may need to be decided in the courts. Both sides are out for blood.

This is from John (ph) from Trumansburg, New York. He says I believe the voters will decide on November 2. However, on November 3, the lawyers will go to the booth.

And this from Mary Lynn (ph) from Hickory, North Carolina. She says unless we have a definitive majority for one of the candidates, we will not have a decision on the election on November 2. The Democratic Party has already begun setting up situations and filing complaints, which will facilitate calling for recounts. Is there no integrity left in this country?

Keep those e-mails coming, DAYBREAK@CNN.com. We're going to debate this issue in the 6:00 hour of DAYBREAK.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:47 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Scott Peterson's defense attorneys will be on the attack again today. Their first target was to strike at the prosecution theory that Peterson made cement anchors to sink his wife's body in San Francisco Bay.

Rock singer Melissa Etheridge is at home recovering from two breast cancer surgeries. She says doctors removed a tumor and a few lymph nodes. And she does plan to undergo chemotherapy.

In money news, crude oil prices closed at $53.67 a barrel on Monday. That's down from more than $55 earlier in the day. Crude production actually soared last month to 25-year highs.

In culture, Broadway star Nathan Lane is set to replace Richard Dreyfuss in the London premier of the hit musical "The Producers." Dreyfuss was forced to pull out of the show for health reasons. And of course, as you know, Nathan Lane would be the perfect replacement since he played that role before.

In sports, Monday Night Football, the St. Louis Rams came back to win their second straight, beating the Tampa Bay Bucs 28-21. The Rams move into first place in the NFC West.

MYERS: I wonder what the ratings were like for that game?

COSTELLO: It'd be interesting. There was a crawl for St. Louis fans keeping them abreast of what was happening in the baseball game.

MYERS: Yes, exactly, matches a lot going on last night.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

So we saw the Red Sox pull off another amazing win, but the National Leaguers had their own classic ending. Astros pitcher Brandon Backe was masterful against the Cardinals. Of course he had a little help from his friends. Game stayed scoreless until the bottom of the ninth inning. But then Jeff Kent stepped up, ended the suspense. The Astros now lead the series three games to two with the series heading back to St. Louis. There you go, that's Jeff Kent, I think.

Get back to the Red Sox and the Yankees, the last two games will surely go down as the two best games in post season history, at least for Red Sox fans.

Joining us live, our good friends Mark Ericson and Danielle Carrier of the WOKQ Waking Crew in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire.

I couldn't believe that game last night.

MARK ERICSON, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Two of the longest games in history, too, post season history.

DANIELLE CARRIER, WOKQ MORNING WAKING CREW, PORTSMOUTH & MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: We are so tired.

COSTELLO: Five hours and 48 minutes to be exact. But I'm telling you, I fell asleep in the seventh inning. I woke up in the 10th. And it was...

CARRIER: You fell asleep.

COSTELLO: Well I did because I thought that the Red Sox had lost.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I did, and I didn't want to see them lose. You know what I mean?

CARRIER: I had a feeling. It was just a riveting game. It was exhilarating. It was entertaining. It was everything that the Red Sox nation always expects.

COSTELLO: Did you see the faces of the fans in the stands through those extra innings?

CARRIER: The little kids. The little kids are the best. They're like covering their eyes and they are peaking through and they are going please, please. It's amazingly adorable.

COSTELLO: I know. I know. Six year olds were becoming intense because of this game.

CARRIER: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

ERICSON: And the Red Sox haven't seemed to draw that kind of emotion out of everybody. But I have to say, I think right now New England is probably the most nonproductive region of the country. And actually, if Ralph Nader were smart, he would campaign here, because we're all so sleep deprived...

CARRIER: Yes. We'd be like whatever, care (ph). ERICSON: ... we'll vote for anybody. Nobody is getting any sleep in New England this week.

COSTELLO: My gosh, what it must be like to be David Ortiz.

CARRIER: You know Vince Hockey (ph) pulls through not once, but twice. And the best part was they pulled through on base hitting. I mean that is so important. I mean everyone says you can't really technically win a game on home runs, unless you are like in the do or die situation, which they have been in the past two nights. And Hoppy (ph) did it twice.

COSTELLO: It's just amazing. I want to read you this bizarre stat, because of course the last two games were very long.

(LAUGHTER)

CARRIER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Twelve innings and 14 innings, right?

ERICSON: Yes.

COSTELLO: When it was over, the teams had played back-to-back marathon games that totaled 26 innings and almost 11 hours, 5 hours 2 minutes on Sunday, 5 hours 49 minutes on Monday, the longest by time in post season history.

CARRIER: And Yankees ran out of pitchers. That's really important. They pitched every pitcher they had except for the one who will be pitching tonight, because they are saving him for tonight.

ERICSON: Well, and Ortiz's game winning hit came last night on the 471st pitch of the game.

CARRIER: That's just insane. And it's just insane. Of course we'll all be watching the game tonight.

Thank you both.

ERICSON: Yes. Have a good day, Carol.

CARRIER: Thanks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You, too.

DAYBREAK will be right back. You stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: You know we've told you part of this story before, but we thought we needed to tell you more, because you know we know that some of you come home to an empty bed at night. If you're yearning for an arm to cuddle up with, we've got just the thing for you.

Here is so much more from CNN's Jeanne Moos. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): OK, put your head down.

(voice-over): This pillow requires instructions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Am I supposed to cuddle like I would with a guy?

MOOS: That's the whole point of what's called the Boyfriend's Arm Pillow. Unlike a real arm, this one never gets numb. Unlike a real boyfriend, it's always there and doesn't snore.

It was dreamed up by a Japanese company whose president says his grandmother used to say there is not more comfortable pillow than the human pillow.

But will this stand in for a boyfriend, past muster with New York women?

(on camera): See, he looks better with the pajamas, don't you think?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, definitely.

MOOS (voice-over): We shelled out 70 bucks for a Boyfriend's Arm Pillow and had it shipped from Japan to New York.

(on camera): They put a hold on this thing in customs. They wanted more information on what it was.

(voice-over): For his first and only night out, we took the Boyfriend's Arm to a nightspot called High Line (ph) where they change sheets, not just tablecloths. He immediately caused trouble, spilling a drink and worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's feeling me up. It's very comfortable. It's a little disconcerting though to have like a hand.

MOOS: For guys it was a role reversal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I usually have a head on my arm when I'm sleeping. I don't know, it feels like my mom is holding me or something.

MOOS (on camera): Really!

(voice-over): But this woman says it makes her feel lonelier.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would just rather get a real boyfriend for free.

MOOS: Some had suggestions for improving the pillow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it needs a head. MOOS: Forget a head, this guy wants a bust. We're told a female version already exists for $83. And they are working on designing a lap with a skirt, plus a more muscular Boyfriend's Arm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like something longer, because I like to like put my leg over something. I want the whole man.

MOOS: That's sure to cost an arm and a leg.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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